The Magnificent Seven
by Rokudaime56
Summary: Lord Sasuke has gathered six uniquely talented warriors from across the Kingdom to combat a mysterious force threatening it's borders. Castles, Knights, Wizards, and Dragons! Oh my! This is a Naruto you've never seen! Follow the first tale in the legend.
1. The Gathering

**A/N: ****This isn't quite my first try at a story, and I should be known by now for my rather, eh, sporadic postings. However, I have high hopes for this one. Now, I started this because I hardly ever see any Naruto stories based outside of the standard Naruto-Universe that isn't a horrific/brilliant crossover. As such, I decided to try my hand at it. **

**The Magnificent Seven**

**Chapter One: The Gathering**

In the world, there lies the land of Elmenta. It stands as a single continent and multiple off shore isles and archipelagos. In the beginning there was little civilization. There were multiple warring clans, noble families, and mercenaries that made the world a dangerous place. And to add to the danger, monstrous horrors plagued the lands.

Of them all, the Great Nine stood supreme. These creatures, known as the _bijū, _or Tailed-Beasts, terrorized the land with their almost unimaginable power. Essentially, as forces of nature, these creatures appeared any and everywhere, destroying all that was in sight. Soon, the people of Elmenta decided to fight the chaos of the beast, and waged a long and bloody war against them.

Yet despite all of their will and all of their determination, they could not succeed. It was then, that he appeared. The Rikudo Sennin, or Sage of the Six Paths, came to the worlds rescue. He was a master of magic, which combined spiritual and physical energies to perform amazing feats. With this magic, he managed to defeat these great creatures and banish them across the continent, far away from any human presence.

This event represented the moment that magic was introduced into the land of Elmenta, and the Sage was revered as a God among men as he spread his teachings to any willing to learn. For a while, peace was maintained, however that all came to an end with the Sage's death.

Eventually, Senju Hashirama, esteemed and powerful leader of the noble Senju Clan, and Uchiha Madara, cunning and respected leader of the Uchiha Clan, signed a peace treaty and established what would become the first kingdom in the land.

The Kingdom of Fire became and remained the first and most powerful nation of the world. With it vast amount of warriors, wizards/sorcerers, healers, and legendary elite, the mighty nation managed to survive and flourish after three horrific great wars.

Despite this, it was not without tragedy. On one lonely, moonlit night, a mighty roar echoed within the skies of the capital city, Konoha. The Kyuubi no Yoko, the Nine-Tailed Fox and most powerful of the Biju, was somehow released from its prison and attacked Konoha. The diligent warriors of Konoha fought bravely, but were unable to match the beast of nature. In the end, the Yondaime Hokage had to sacrifice his life in order to defeat the Kyuubi and once again bring peace to Konoha.

Now, sixteen years later, our story begins . . .

xXxXxXxXx

At the edge of Fire Country, far from Konoha, a lonely tavern stood worn and erect in the dim moonlight of the night. There was the occasional carriage or rider to pass by, but none stopped to enter the tavern.

A fair-skinned man of average height, with onyx eyes and black chin length hair, stepped into the moonlight in front of the tavern. He was dressed in blue and black armor, with a blue cloak donning the Konoha leaf in the center. On his side was a sword of excellent make.

This was Uchiha Sasuke, last of the noble Uchiha Clan of Konoha and he was on a mission.

Stepping inside of the tavern, the Uchiha inclined his head towards the tavern-keeper and took a seat in the center of the empty building. Although he was alone now, he would soon be joined by his . . . comrades.

After about twenty minutes of waiting, the door opened and a man dressed in white entered the building. He wore a white cloak, with leather padding upon his left shoulder. Pale white eyes without pupils stood out in the tavern's lights, and the longbow strapped upon his shoulder with the two dozen or so arrows was quite a sight.

This was Hyuuga Neji, the great prodigy of the Hyuuga Clan and a master Archer.

"White Archer" Sasuke acknowledged and for the faintest of moments his eyes flashed red.

Neji's eyes narrowed at the greeting. "Black Swordsman" He returned, taking a seat. His pupil-less eyes glanced around the tavern again. "I hope we aren't to be the only ones to be on this quest of yours. That would be quite . . . unpleasant."

"Hn" was Sasukes reply as he shifted in his seat.

Luckily, the tension was broken rather quickly as the door to the tavern opened again, revealing the esteemed healer and student of the legendary Cleric, Haruno Sakura. Not too much later, the door opened again as the intelligent, powerful, but lazy Nara Shikamaru entered.

Within the next hour, Akimichi Choji and Inuzuka Kiba arrived as well. Drinks and food were served and small talk ensued between them all.

"So let me get this straight," Kiba said as he munched on his meal, "We have a Noble, an Archer, a lazy Wizard, a bubbly Cleric, a big boned Knight, and a Hunter, all gathered from across the kingdom for some mission that we all only have a vague idea about. Doesn't that sound strange to you? And where the hell is the seventh member?"

Sasuke shook his head in exasperation. "He probably left late, knowing him. He should be here soon enough, if I know him as well as I think. Although, I warn you, he's a bit . . . well; you'll understand when he arrives."

No longer than twenty seconds after the words left his mouth, the tavern door opened for what would be the last time of the night.

The newcomer was dressed in black pants, with a light orange shirt, with a cloak strapped to his shoulders, a sword to his hip along with two daggers, and goggles that hung around his neck. He adorned three whisker marks on each cheek, shining blond hair, and bright blue eyes.

Uzumaki Naruto grinned like a fox as he gazed upon his comrades.

"Hiya everyone, my name's Uzumaki Naruto! The one who'll make this mission a success!" He boasted loudly, letting loose a bellowing laugh.

Everyone in the tavern let loose a sigh of exasperation at the exclamation. "How has this idiot survived this long is beyond me." Sasuke muttered to himself while rubbing his temple. "It's nice of you to join us, Naruto, finally." He said.

The blond scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Yeah, sorry about that, but I kind of got lost on the way here."

"How the hell did that happen?! You picked this place!" Sasuke exclaimed irritably.

Naruto held his hands up in defense. "I only mentioned this place since I passed it once! I don't have a great memory like some people here."

"Naruto . . ." Sasuke growled lowly, placing his hand on the hilt of his blade.

"Enough!" Neji said clearly, his voice echoing. "We are wasting valuable time with this trivial squabbling you all seem to enjoy so much. Now then, Uchiha, now that our party is complete, tell us why you have gathered us here."

Naruto and Sasuke exchanged a glare, before Naruto sat down grumbling about 'jackasses' and 'duck-ass'.

Clearing his throat, Sasuke began to speak. "As you all know, for the last six years there have been disturbing reports from our north-western borders. Talk of a man wielding a scythe, dressed as a reaper and taking sacrifices. Konoha has sent investigators before; however, they did not fare too well." By now he had everyone's attention. "I have recently heard news of entire villages and towns becoming empty. I have appealed to the Hokage to allow myself to put together a company to investigate the matter. And this time, end it."

"Arara, this seems like quite the task. You said that the people spoke of a scythe wielding man dressed as a reaper?" Shikamaru asked, his eyebrow raised. "And by what you said, taking 'sacrifices' as well. Sounds like black magic to me. That's troublesome."

Kiba grinned as he slapped the lazy mage on the shoulder. "What? You afraid of some little old black magic, eh?"

The Nara's eyes narrowed as he spoke with energy for the first time that evening. "No, I personally don't like the idea of going up head to head against black magic. First of all, it's a pain in the ass. Secondly, unless you have any idea what kind of magic this person is using, there's almost no way to counter it. Thirdly, if these sacrifices have any important role, which they normally do, then this will be no simple task."

"You think you can handle it, Shikamaru?" Choji asked.

"Eh, I've never been one for duels. Although I'm sure I could think of something." Shikamaru responded, rubbing his forehead.

"We're also assuming that the man is working alone." Sakura pointed out.

"Indeed, Haruno-san makes an excellent point. This mission has far too many variables for my liking." Neji added.

For the next few minutes they all took turns assessing the mission. Unfortunately for them, Naruto had long since stopped thinking about it.

"Oh will you all please _Shut_. _The_. _Hell_. _Up_!" Naruto yelled, slamming his palm down and catching everyone's attention.

"What does it matter, if this guy is controlling people, towns, nations, black magic, grey magic, or whatever the hell you people come up with?! Do you not see what this is? How great an opportunity this is, not just for us, but for Konoha?! If we pull of this mission, the one no one has been able to for years, we'll go down in history! We'll become legends! And Konoha will forever recognize and appreciate our value! And without that presence there, we'll finally be able to add that extra watch on Iwa. Besides, this sounds like an adventure worth participating in." Naruto began to regulate his breathing as he finished his rant.

Everyone looked at Naruto in a new light, and Kiba was the first to speak up. "Well then, when you say it like that, I can't help but agree. Right, Akamaru?"

A massive bark echoed throughout the tavern and Naruto fell out his seat with a yelp.

"W-w-what the hell?!" Naruto exclaimed, raising a quivering finger at the massive hound by Kiba's side as he noticed Akamaru for the first time that evening. "That dog is to damn _big_. Kami, it should be a crime against nature for a _dog_ to be _that_ goddamn _big_."

"Hey! What's that mean?" Kiba said back in an equal tone.

"It means exactly what I just fucking said. That dog is to damn big! What the hell did you do? Feed it steroids?!" Naruto asked.

Kiba scoffed. "I'll have you know that I feed Akamaru the greatest meals the Inuzuka Clan can provide."

"And that's why you guys can barely afford the upkeep of your manor." Sasuke muttered.

"What was that, Uchiha?" Kiba growled, his fist slamming into the surface of a nearby table.

Before Sasuke could reply, he, Kiba, and Naruto were hit across their temple by a metallic object.

"Ow! Dammit Sakura!" all three parties screamed, rubbing their sore spots.

Sakura huffed out a breath of annoyance. "I think I can speak for everyone when I say, I'm tired as hell so let's just get this thing started so we can all go to bed."

Shikamaru hummed in agreement.

Sasuke sighed. "Fine then, all in favor of pursuing and completing this quest?" He asked.

Naruto stood and placed his hand on his friends shoulder. "You have my blade, as always."

"I'm with you to, Sasuke-kun." Sakura said.

"I suppose I'm in favor of this quest." Neji said nonchalantly.

Kiba shrugged as a wild grin appeared on his face. "Eh, what the hell? What's the worst that could happen?"

"As long as Shikamaru's in, so am I." came Choji's reply.

Shikamaru, sighed as he pulled out a pipe. "This is troublesome, but I guess I'm in as well."

Naruto smiled widely as he exclaimed. "Great! The Magnificent Seven have gathered! Now then, off to bed! And tomorrow, into legend!"

"Finally!" Shikamaru said, standing up and heading to the room he had been promised. He was followed by Choji, Sakura, and Kiba.

As Neji was heading up, his eyes caught Sasuke's. "You had best be sure of this mission, Uchiha. For if it turns out that you are leading our comrades to death, I will kill you." He smiled a wolfish smile, and set for bed.

Naruto and Sasuke watched him leave. With a raised eyebrow, Naruto turned to Sasuke.

"What the hell shoved the stick up his ass?" Naruto questioned.

The Uchiha shrugged. "It's a Hyuuga thing." To which Naruto snorted. "Right, well, if you want I can kick his ass."

Sasuke thought it over for a moment, before shaking his head as a deadly grin crossed his face. "No, no we need him. Although, you can have some . . . fun with him."

Naruto grinned as well, "Purple, Orange, Red, or Pink?"

"Pink, most definitely pink." Sasuke replied.

"I've never pranked a Hyuuga. I hope it's fun." Naruto said in anticipation.

Wrapping his arm over his long-time friends shoulder, Sasuke smiled. "I do believe this will be quite the entertaining quest."


	2. The Journey Begins

**A/N****: Ah! The company has gathered! Such an interesting group of youngsters, eh? Quite ambitious as well, especially since I know most you know who they're target is. I know there was little to no action last chapter and most of you are probably curious as to each members individual abilities and so on and so forth. We'll get there, I assure you. This chapter and probably the next is more or less a set up chapter that will really lead us up the rising action towards the conclusion. So, be patient and enjoy the story!**

**The Magnificent Seven**

**Chapter Two: The Journey Begins**

"This is soooo fucking boring!" Uzumaki Naruto complained as he played with his goggles, eliciting a growl from Kiba.

"Kami! For fucks sake Uzumaki, shut the hell up! How and the hell Lord Jiraiya deals with your dumbass is beyond me!" the Inuzuka cried out, running his hands through his wild hair. "I swear, we've been on the road for an hour and a half and you still won't shut the hell up?! Do I have to kick your ass?!"

"Step up then! I'll kick you and your dog's ass!" Naruto countered, his devilish grin widening at Akamaru's threatening growl.

"Maa, both of you are troublesome." Shikamaru sighed, shaking his head in exasperation at the two idiots.

Naruto snorted and turned his attention forward towards the front of the group, where Neji and Sasuke were leading the company. "Hey, Neji, is the city in your sights?" he called out in a voice that was way too loud for the situation.

Neji for a moment said nothing, before slowly turning back to place his cool gaze on Naruto. Releasing a shaky breath, Naruto laughed nervously.

"Come on Neji! You're not still pissed off about this morning are you?" the blond asked.

Sasuke looked from Neji to Naruto, before bursting out in laughter with Kiba, while Choji and Shikamaru barely restrained their chuckles and Sakura began to giggle lightly. A bulge appeared on Neji's head as he began to shake with rage as the earlier mornings events replayed in his mind.

xXxXxXxXx

Earlier that morning, as the company was preparing their things, a god awful ruckus of shouts and screams, along with the sound of breaking furniture, could be heard on the upper level of the tavern. Then, there was nothing but strange silence.

The strange silence lasted for a short moment, as most in the company were trying to comprehend what the hell was happening. Another moment passed, and Neji stumbled down the stairs in a ragged mess.

Upon taking note of Neji, Sasuke turned from his breakfast towards the Hyuuga, regarded him silently, before breaking out in roaring laughter, laughing so hard that he fell out of his seat. Choji had his jaw on the floor, while Shikamaru was simply shaking his head with a light grin on his face. Sakura had to cover her mouth to hide her giggling.

Simply put, Neji looked ridiculous. His cloak had bright pink dots all over them and his smooth pale skin was marked by some form of ink, forming a monocle, a mustache, and a mole. It also looked as if he had placed mascara around his eyes and had placed some blush on his cheeks. He looked, as mentioned, ridiculous.

The Hyuuga was seething in anger and he asked in a very low and dangerous voice, "_Who did this . . ._"

The door to the tavern then opened and Naruto entered whistling a merry tune. Noticing the tense atmosphere, he paused and casted his gaze around the room before finally finishing on Neji. It took a moment, but the blond soon joined Sasuke in uproarious laughter, falling backwards against the closing door whilst holding his sides.

"H-holy shit!" Kiba exclaimed, as he himself joined in the laughter as he emerged from the upper level.

"Hot damn! I knew I was good, but _damn_, I am _good_!" Naruto commented on his handiwork as he gazed at Neji.

"So, it _was_ you!" Neji rumbled, taking a threatening step towards Naruto. This made Naruto, Sasuke, and Kiba begin to laugh even harder.

"Well, if it wasn't me, then whoever did that and placed the trip-wires all along your floor was a genius with little contest!" Naruto stated, grinning like a clown.

Before Neji could leap forward and strangle the giggling blond idiot, a very calming presence pressed itself into the room. The Hyuuga felt the tension leave his body and mind as his muscles relaxed. Soon, he himself was tranquil, though still irritated.

It seemed as though everyone else in the room had felt it as well, as they all visibly relaxed and calmed down. Sasuke blinked once, then twice, and thrice he blinked as he regained focus. "What the hell?" He asked quietly, sweeping his eyes across the room to Shikamaru, before resting them upon Sakura.

"Did you do that?" the Uchiha noble asked, to which the Cleric nodded. "Yes, everyone just needs to calm down and get ready to go. We have a long road ahead, if you don't remember." Sakura responded, smiling slyly as she turned to go properly prepare her things.

Sasuke watched her leave, before smiling to himself as he turned to Naruto. "Nice." He mouthed, to which Naruto nodded to with a wide grin and nod.

xXxXxXxXx

"We are," Neji began in an even voice, "about half an hour away from the city of Tousai, if you must know."

Naruto nodded, as he turned away from the Hyuuga's cold eyes and focused them on his other companions. Since the company had set out, they decided on a loose formation. It was set with Sasuke and Neji in front as a first response to any threat they may run across, with Shikamaru and Sakura behind them for support, Naruto and Kiba as backup if needed or as rear guard support, and Choji as the rear guard.

Naruto decided to take his mind off of them and onto his surroundings. Fire Country was experiencing a beautiful spring, with blossoming flowers of all colors and sizes trailing the roads and fields. The sun was showering the land in its golden rays and animals of species were up and about.

Not but twenty minutes later, they reached the gates of Tousai. Upon receiving entrance into the city, which had been all too happy to receive Uchiha Sasuke as a guest, they all located a place to stay for the night. They had a large distance to travel and to do such; they would need horses and supplies.

As such, to cover their needs within a recent amount of time, they each split off into pairs to acquire certain items. Sasuke and Sakura were to find and buy horses, Neji and Kiba were to stock up on wilderness survival gear, Shikamaru and Choji were to buy food, and Naruto was . . . well, he didn't really have a job. Sasuke didn't trust the blond troublemaker enough not to cause trouble to assign him an important responsibility. They were all to meet at the gate when their assignment was complete or in Naruto's case, whenever he decided to show up.

"Arrogant duck-ass . . ." Naruto grumbled as he walked around the bustling city streets, kicking a lone pebble. It's not as if he minded not doing anything, but he wanted to at least contribute to the company somehow. But no, he was too 'dangerous' to do anything.

"Dangerous my ass." He muttered, before sighing. Removing himself from his thoughts, he took in the sights of Tousai.

The city itself was significantly smaller than Konoha and couldn't even compete with it in beauty. However, there was a certain homely feel to it. Children ran through the streets, playing all kinds of games. Street vendors lined the streets every few blocks or so, selling their trade to anyone and everyone.

From what Naruto had seen, there was also the Garrison, where Konoha soldiers placed their HQ and also a Mages Keep, where the city Mages found themselves a home where they could practice their arts in peace. He stayed as far away from those locations as possible, seeing as he wasn't in such a good mood and may begin to wreak havoc among the unsuspecting men.

An hour passed as a lonely Naruto walked the streets. Hell, now that he thought about it, he'd rather do anything than this. It was even more boring than the walk to the city. "How can anybody live in . . ." Naruto paused in his musing as a familiar aroma caught his attention. "Kami, yes! Where have you been, my sweet, sweet _RAMEN_!"

In a mad dash, Naruto entered the Ramen stand and, with an unhealthy passion, began to eat to his heart's content. It wasn't nearly as good as Ichiraku's in Konoha, but damn, it was amazing. They even had mega bowls, which were entirely too large and too much for anyone. Except Naruto. He had finished the first one somewhat slowly, but after that, he began to eat bowl after bowl after bowl, eventually finishing on his fourteenth one. He released a massive belch in satisfaction, patting his stomach as if to say "Good Job."

xXxXxXxXx

However, as Naruto was off not causing trouble, Sasuke and Sakura had unfortunately run into some.

It was going smoothly in the beginning. Sasuke had asked a knowledgeable merchant where he could purchase horses and was pointed in the direction of the stables. He had thanked the merchant and headed towards stables.

Upon arriving, the Uchiha Noble tried and, admittedly failed to barter off the horses for a reasonable price. Instead, he managed to almost get into a fist fight with the seller. Fortunately, Sakura managed to calm them down. She then used her feminine wiles to convince the seller to lower the prices, even managing to get Sasuke a free one when she lightly mentioned his title as Lord of the Uchiha Clan.

The horses were to be posted by the main gate for the Company to pick up on their way out. At the moment, Sakura was giggling at the still irritated Uchiha patriarch.

"It's not funny." Sasuke muttered, rubbing his forehead in agitation. This denial sent Sakura into even louder spills of giggling.

"Right, the big bad Lord Uchiha Sasuke, the Black Swordsman of Konoha, couldn't even buy horses from a 'lowly peasant merchant'. That's certainly not hilarious." Sakura teased, playing with her pink hair.

Sasuke snorted at her obvious sarcasm, causing the pinkette to go into another fit of giggles. "I swear, right now you're worse than Naruto." He muttered to himself, shaking his head in exasperation.

The pair continued their trek to the gates, engaging in small talk and the sort, and enjoying the sights of the city. Sasuke himself didn't see much of anything that interested him, except for one thing. A small boy, around the age of eleven, moved quietly and stealthily towards a group of ferocious looking men. The men were laughing uproariously and eating some food they had gotten from a nearby vendor. The boy tried to grab a piece of bread from the nearest man's container, only for his wrist to be grabbed and to be roughly pushed to the ground.

"What the hell? Do you know who you were trying to steal from, gaki?! We're the Thunder Gale, rogue hunters of Kumogakure. And you thought you could steal from us?!" by then the child was in tears. "It seems as if we'll have to teach you a lesson."

Sakura, who had stopped to watch the scene, turned to Sasuke. "Sasuke, shouldn't you do something?" she asked, pleading ever so lightly.

The Uchiha did not reply, however his eyes did narrow somewhat as he watched one of the men pick the crying boy up. By then someone had called the guards and they were moving towards the situation. However, they'd arrive far too late to do anything good.

Another man in the group slowly unsheathed his sword. "Hmm, perhaps we should take an arm, eh? That should teach this little thief a lesson he won't ever forget." He growled, raising the blade.

That was the last and final straw for the Uchiha, unfortunately, and he stepped up with narrowed eyes as he glared at the gang. "Shouldn't you guys be picking on someone your own size?" He said in a loud, clear voice as his hand casually slipped to the hilt of his blade.

This caught the men's attention as they all turned to the newcomer, eyebrows raised. "Oh, and you'd like to do something about it, eh, punk?" At that the rest of the men unsheathed their weapons.

Sasuke laughed. He genuinely laughed. "You people really are stupid aren't you?" He questioned, shaking his head. "I never knew there were people dumber than Naruto."

The Uchiha was unable to continue that train of thought, as the men howled and charged at him, all except for the one holding up the young boy.

Sasuke shook his head one last time as the first man came up upon him. In one deft motion, Sasuke silently unsheathed his blade, and with a quick flick of the wrist, removed the man's arm from his body.

The rest, in Sakura's opinion, happened rather quickly. Sasuke moved far faster than a normal man or soldier, weaving in and out of his opponents, delivering efficient and brutal wounds. In the time it took for Sakura to blink five times, the battle was over. The lone Uchiha stood in the center of a tangled mess of withering opponents, who all moaned in pain.

In his hand, laid the blade of his infamy, the Kuro no Ken . . . the Black Blade. Sakura had heard rumors regarding it, but she'd never seen it. The blade was black but its edges shone with pale fire. The hilt wasn't extravagant either. It was such a modest sword in comparison to its reputation.

Sasuke spared a glance at the downed gang members and said in a low, cheery voice. "And then there was _one_." He then raised his blade towards the now quivering man holding up the entranced boy. "Do you want to be next?"

The man, actually having common sense in comparison to his comrades, abruptly dropped the boy and made a mad dash for his life. Sasuke snorted again, flicking his wrist and causing blood to sail from his blade. He sheathed the sword and turned around to walk back to a gaping Sakura. "The foods yours." He called out to the boy, barely registering the child's thank you.

Yeah, Uchiha Sasuke was _that_ cool.

Sakura smiled at Sasuke as he walked up to her, his eyes closed. "Let's get going, Sakura." He said in an even voice, before continuing his trek towards the gates. Sakura nodded and began to follow him, but not before noticing the city guards approaching the carnage Sasuke had created.

xXxXxXxXx

The company found themselves together again, arriving at the gate not too long after each other.

Sakura enlightened the group to Sasuke's exploits, much to the Uchiha embarrassment and Naruto's amusement. The horses were there as promised and after sorting the supplies, they each mounted their steeds. Sasuke's black, Sakura's chestnut brown, Choji's chocolate brown, Shikamaru's grey, Kiba's black and white spotted, Neji's pure white, and Naruto's orange brown.

Sasuke moved to the front of the group and spoke in a clear voice. "It is at this moment that our quest fully commences. I cannot guarantee your safety or survival. However, I will have you know that I am honored and grateful to have your help." He bowed his head lightly.

With those words, he and the company set forth on a journey and quest that would define a generation and shape future events to come.

* * *

**Thanks to everyone who read the first chapter and thanks specifically to Sparrowfeathers for his review. So, once again, tell me what you think! Your thoughts, opinions, suggestions, anything except flame is welcome! This chapter was a pain in the ass to write, but I'm quite proud with how it turned out. **


	3. The Hunters and The Prey

**A/N****: Well now, the journey has officially begun and the company is moving out. Just so you guys know, and as The Loner in the Shadows has pointed out, that little action scene with Sasuke was short for a reason. What specific reason, well, I'm too lazy to tell. Anyways, this chapter should run pretty smoothly. It was a pain to write, but hopefully you'll enjoy the effort. **

**The Magnificent Seven**

**Chapter Three: The Hunters and The Prey**

"So you said that the last reported sighting of this 'Reaper' was to the north-east, right?" Kiba questioned as he made his way up to Sasuke on his black and white steed.

The Uchiha, to his credit, never took his eyes off of the dirt road in front of him. Instead, he acknowledged the Inuzuka with a grunt of acknowledgment and confirmation. "Yes, as of right now we're headed for Karatsui village, the last reported sighting of him."

Kiba hummed in thought and silently moved to the back of the company, deciding it would be best not to agitate the Uchiha anymore. The company slowly continued to travel north-east, towards the borders between the Land of Fire and the Lands of Rice and Hot Water, where the village of Karatsui village was located.

Naruto whistled to himself as he took in the sights around him. He'd never been through this part of Fire Country, as his assignments often took him to the south-west, towards Sunagakure. There was something . . . noticeably different to this forest than many of the others he had ventured into within the country. Whether it was due to the powers of the First Hokage or the natural qualities of the land, imbued with the natural chakra of the wizards and warriors of the lands throughout the years, many believed the tree's to be sentient.

Somehow, they seemed to be aware of the coming and goings of those around them. The villages and towns in the area didn't seem to think so and made their living in the lumber industry. The wood was highly prized, very sturdy and in high-demand in all parts of the world.

That was, at least, all that Naruto knew. However, as the company approached Karatsui village, he couldn't help but feel that he was being watched. As such, his hands were never too far away from his weapons and his eyes were constantly scanning his surroundings.

He did notice, however, that Shikamaru was looking increasingly uncomfortable. Next to him, Choji patted him on the shoulder as the two exchanged hushed words. Trotting up next to the Nara, Naruto asked lightly, "Is there something wrong, Shikimaru?"

The pineapple headed wizard regarded the blond with steady eyes, before releasing a sigh as he rolled his shoulders. "Nothing really, honestly. Mostly just nerves. It's just that, when you combine the essence of this forest with the foreboding aura of Karatsui, the feeling is very unnerving."

Naruto nodded to himself, his eyes turning towards the village that seemed to be coming closer and closer. Unbeknownst to them, most everyone else in the group discreetly tuned into the conversation. "So something is up?" He questioned, to which Shikamaru shook his head.

"I'm not entirely sure what, seeing as I'm not all too much of a sensor-type, however from what I can tell, something very . . . dark has transpired within the area." He said ominously, his lazy eyes staring ahead.

"Naruto, you don't happen to have any snacks on you, do you?" Choji asked when a tense silence settled over the group, to which Naruto shook his head in the negative. "You should have packed more in the city, before we left big guy." He replied, patting the large man on the shoulder.

Before they could descend into a conversation, Sasuke called out from ahead in a resolute tone, "We've arrived." And with those words, a chilling wind swept through the air, causing the tree's to moan. The company looked upon the village of Karatsui.

Naruto saw that it was quite undefended. There were no walls or gates leaving an open village, made primarily from timber and wood. The roofs of the houses were made from the thick bundles of leaves from the forest and clay, which must have done a decent job of keeping the water out. The biggest structure in the village was the factory at the other end, a large rectangular building that had been built next to the flowing river. The river pushed a waterwheel, which must have turned something inside the factory.

"Eh, it doesn't look like much." Kiba commented, idly scratching the back of his head while Akamaru barked in agreement. He then sniffed the air multiple towns, before frowning. "From what I can smell, there's no one in the town. But something foul is affecting my nose." He stated, rubbing his nose frantically while cringing. Naruto, having an above average sense of smell similar to Kiba, frowned as well as he sniffed the air.

"Holy shit, that's some stench." Naruto cried out, squeezing his nose shut.

Both of their reactions caused Sasuke to narrow his eyes somewhat as he stared into the village. Removing himself from his saddle, he tied his horse to a nearby tree. Everyone else soon followed his lead and they all stood on the perimeter of the village.

The village before them was silent.

Nothing moved.

Sasuke turned to address the group. "Search for any of the inhabitants, investigate anything that catches your attention. And most importantly," he turned his eyes to Naruto and Kiba, "do try to be careful." Sasuke then turned and walked into the village.

The company then split up, each heading to investigate a separate area of the village. It remained undamaged and untouched as far as Naruto could tell, but many of the front doors had been left open, rocking and creaking as the wind blew through the ghost town.

Although there was little evidence of there being any immediate danger, Naruto unsheathed one of the many daggers on his person as he approached a nearby home. He entered and inspected the interior.

Whoever lived there was a very busy person, from what Naruto could tell. They tried to keep the house as tidy as possible, but there seemed to always be something to do. Whether washing dishes, fixing leaks, renovating the home, and running errands, there was always something to do at home. Naruto, unfortunately, couldn't relate to that.

Not too much longer after entering the home, he left it, to find Kiba stand around with a look of consternation plastered on his face. He sniffed the air multiple times and his eyes narrowed in concentration. As Kiba did this, his canines seemed to grow sharper and his hair unruly. He bared his teeth and let out a low growl.

"Akamaru . . ." Kiba said in a rough voice. The large white hound raised his head to his partners' voice. "_**Hunt**_." He commanded.

Naruto blinked as Akamaru seemed to bark in understanding and bound away with an unexpected speed, headfirst into the foliage of the surrounding forest with all the intent of a hunter.

Kiba watched as his friend and companion vanished from his view, before releasing a calming sigh, his animalistic features receding slowly. He turned his black eyes towards Naruto and smiled in jest. "I think I may have found something interesting." He said, turning his head back to the forest. "If I'm right, Akamaru should find it soon, and when he does, we'll head out to see. That is, unless you're a bit too . . . frightened to." His smile widened further.

Naruto returned his smile with an even wider smile of his own. "You know, I'm kinda glad you found something," he chuckled "because things were starting to get a little boring. And Kami knows I get rowdy when I'm bored."

The two remained where they were, waiting for the telltale bark that would signal that Akamaru had found something of interest. When it was heard, the two headed into the unknown of the forest.

On the other side of the village, Sasuke and Neji saw the figures of Naruto and Kiba leave into the forest, before exchanging a look of annoyance and exasperation. Turning to face the rest of the company, they soon began exchanging information on anything they found within the village. It all turned out to be the same.

There were no signs of struggle or conflict, let alone any indication of anything peculiar happening. It was almost as if the members of the village just disappeared.

Naruto called Sasuke paranoid, much to the Uchiha's irritation. Sasuke would like to say he was cautious, not paranoid. There was a difference of course. And as he looked from one person to another, the Uchiha lord found himself feeling more and more uncomfortable.

Sakura and Shikamaru were fidgeting where they stood, their eyes darting from one area to another, as if searching for some invisible entity unknown to him. Both were exuding an aura of contained power as they tried and failed negate the negative energies in the air. That, Sasuke could feel, as he was almost positive Neji and Choji could as well.

Taking a breath, Sasuke cleared his throat before pointing towards the only building left unsearched: the factory. No words were needed, as they all clearly read his intentions and readied themselves for the possibility of battle.

They approached the factory with caution and with a deft hand, Sasuke opened up the main doors to the factory. It was dark, incredibly so, despite the shining sun outside. "Can I have a light?" He asked, knowing that either Shikamaru or Sakura knew of a spell to summon light. Not a moment later, a brilliant light resonated from the open palm of Sakura's palm and Sasuke took a stunned step backwards at the horror before him.

xXxXxXxXx

Naruto and Kiba trekked rather deep into the forest, away from Karatsui. As they moved through the brush, the putrid smell in the air that had only been so faint in the village grew stronger and stronger. Not only that, but a new presence could be felt at the edge of their senses and Naruto could swear they were being watched.

Oh how right he was.

They found Akamaru sitting near a pair of marks on the ground that led deeper into the forest. Upon further investigation, Kiba declared they were drag marks, saying that whoever was brought through here had to be dragged further through the forest.

Naruto spied around and found several other marks that led in a similar direction to the originals.

"Let's follow them, see where they lead." Kiba said, moving deeper into the brush. The marks went on for quite some time, until they stopped at a large clearing where they up and disappeared. This perplexed Naruto, who scratched his cheeks in consternation.

"What the hell?" the blond questioned, looking around.

Kiba was confused as well, sniffing the air. "I don't understand. The scent has only gotten stronger and the tracks led to this area. It's not as if they could have just disappeared."

They both stood, contemplating their situations, completely tuning out their surroundings. As such, they never noticed the looming shadow behind Kiba, leaping forwards with startling agility.

Well, at least Kiba and Naruto didn't see it. Akamaru on the other hand, was an entirely different story. The great white hound leaped into the air, tackling the assailant to the ground, snarling ferociously. Kiba and Naruto instantly leaped back and turned around, weapons raised. Before them, was a disgusting sight.

The creature was large, almost larger than Akamaru and almost impossibly muscular on its four legs and torso. Its skin was leathery and grey as storm clouds. There were no ears, rather horn like protrusions ontop of its head and its mouth was incredibly wide, with multiple rows of teeth.

That and it had no eyes.

The creature howled in anger and most probably pain, and lashed out against the hound, engaging Akamaru in a ferocious battle.

"What the hell is that?" Kiba asked in horror.

Naruto was unable to answer, as roar filled with a maddening lust for blood filled the air.

And then the world was engulfed in grey.

xXxXxXxXx

"Good Kami . . ." Neji muttered, taking his eyes away from what was essentially, a massacre.

All across the back wall of the factory were all of the villagers. However, they just so happened to be missing their eyes. And skin. Blood smeared the walls and the smell of rotting flesh and muscle was almost unbearable.

On the wall of the factory, behind the bodies, was a massive circle with a triangle within the center. Below it were the words _"The end is nigh"_.

All written in blood.

Sasuke took a deep breath, before walking out of the factory, followed by the rest of the company. When they had all left, he closed the doors and sighed.

"Well, it seems that we've solved the missing villager problem." Shikamaru said, his voice tired.

Sasuke opened his mouth to respond, before a massive roar reverberated in the air. Neji's eyes narrowed and immediately his bow was in his hands and veins began to pop out along his eyes. The telltale sign of his family's ancient bloodline, the Byakugan.

The sign of rushing feet against rocks, grass, and dirt filled the air and Neji cried out, "We're under attack!" And immediately chaos reigned.

A large, two legged creature appeared behind Shikamaru, whose eyes widened at the proclamation. However, it was unprepared for the blow delivered to its head by Choji's massive hammer. The creature was sent careening into a nearby building, causing it to collapse.

More creatures, two legged, leathery grey skin, blank faces, and their arms seeming to be fused with some grotesque blades of some kind, descended upon the group, causing them to scatter.

Grim faced, Sasuke unsheathed the Kuro no Ken and parried a strong downward slash from a creature that approached him at quick speeds. He found his blade being pushed back in their brief stalemate and he gritted his teeth in anger. It was stronger than he thought. Pivoting on his left foot, the Uchiha disengaged from the deadlock, spinning around the creature and disabling it in three quick slashes.

He was forced from dealing the finishing blow as two more creatures attacked him, stealing his attention. To his right, he could see Neji firing arrow after arrow from that massive bow of his, his hands a blur as he notched arrow after arrow.

A creature approached him from an angle, with the intent to catch him off guard, however, the Hyuuga deftly avoided the strike that followed and shoved an arrow through its jugular, before notching and releasing the arrow into the creatures' forehead in one motion. He then focused his attention to giving covering fire to his comrades.

Another creature found his head smashed into the ground as Choji slammed his hammer into it. He was saved from having his back skewered by another one, as the surrounding shadows upon the ground seemed to grow and come alive, wrapping themselves around the creature like chains. Before the thing could struggle, a powerful spike of shadow erupted from its temple. Choji noticed this and nodded his thanks to wizard.

The wizard returned his nod, as he dealt with the five or so creatures surrounding him. His shadow seemed to be alive, whispering in some unknown language to the mage. Dark tendrils rose from the ground, surrounding the Nara and attacking any creature that managed to get close. Next to him, stood Sakura, who weaved her scepter in obscene patterns, a green glow faintly pulsing around her as she strengthened her allies.

Sasuke found himself launched through the air as he was forced to block two blades at once, slamming his back into the wall of a surrounding building. The air around him flickered in a faint blue tone and began to crackle. Regaining his breath he flashed forward towards his assailants, damn near dancing around them in incredible speed. His black blade moved in arcs and stabbing motions, as the Uchiha lord downed his foes in a matter of moments.

He felt the air around him distort as an object passed his shoulder and into head of an approaching creature, thanks to Neji who was working in tandem with Choji to down the rest of the creatures. They were incredibly resilient, strong, and fast and were giving the duo a tough time. Sakura and Shikamaru seemed to be holding their own, if only for now.

Sasuke used the moment to catch his breath, his mind racing as he thought of Naruto and Kiba, knowing they had headed into the forest in search of something. He had no idea where they were or how they were doing. Because of this, he was completely unprepared as a low voice whispered into his ear.

"This is no time to be day-dreaming, _Lord Uchiha_."

xXxXxXxXx

Mad laughter filled the air as Naruto and Kiba embraced the chaos around them. Not all too long after the beasts had arrived, had the monstrous blade creatures arrived, posing a significant challenge to the members of the company.

"Naruto, duck!" Kiba cried out, to which Naruto bowed at the waist, allowing Kiba to hop over him and behead a bladed creature.

The Inuzuka carried two curved blades of elbow length, holding one in a regular grip and the other in reverse. Kiba amazed Naruto, as he became a whirlwind of blades as battled multiple creatures at once. And as he did so, his features became more and more feral and his attacks became even more animalistic.

He was a force to be reckoned with.

Naruto grinned as he called out, "Let's get wild!"

He charged into battle again, his sword in one hand and a dagger in the other. All around him, creatures fell one, two, or three at a time. Naruto deftly parried, blocked, and avoided his assailants' strikes to the best of his abilities, but by the time he had killed the thirteenth creature, he was wounded on his side and on his left arm.

A wail of pain caught the blonds' attention and he turned to see Akamaru fighting valiantly against his feral foes, yet faltering ever so slightly. In one swift motion, his dagger left his hand and into the head of the offending creature, giving Kiba's companion a quick reprieve.

Naruto was unable to retrieve the dagger as he back stepped to avoid an attack that would have split him in two, before disarming the creature, literally.

Three more creatures descended upon him and Naruto growled out in irritation and a blue energy seemed to swell around him. He tilted his head back to avoid his head from being cleaved from his shoulders, before splitting the creature in half. He then lifted his blade to parry another strike, pushed off the blade, and removed the head cleanly. The last creature managed to get within his guard and was about to pierce the blond through the gut. Naruto back peddled however, barely avoiding the blow, and rested his hand against the creatures chest.

In a brilliant flash of bright blue light, a mighty roar echoed throughout the air as the creature was destroyed in a single, contained explosion. The silence that followed was deafening.

The attacking creatures all hollered out loud, as if startled by the explosion and because of it, scattered away into the forest, leaving the three companions standing exhausted in the clearing.

All around them lay the unmoving bodies of their assailants, Kiba was surrounded by a massive pile and Akamaru held one limply within his jaws.

"Well," Kiba breathed out, hunching over. "that was unexpected. But holy fuck that was exciting!" He exclaimed.

Naruto agreed with a nod and Akamaru a bark, before another louder and larger explosion caught their attention.

It came from Karatsui.

* * *

**Well guys, there you go. I apologize for it coming in so late and it's most probably kinda choppy. Honestly it was kind of difficult to write, seeing as I couldn't seem to get it out for the life of me. So, I apologize. Anyways, I want to thank all those who read and reviewed the last few chapters. It's truly a wonderful feeling**. **So, once again, tell me what you think! Your thoughts, opinions, suggestions, anything except flame is welcome!**


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